Process of making carbonizing compounds



UNlT ED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JAMES FARRELL, OF CLEVELAND, 0310.]

PROCESS OF MAKING CARBONIZING COMPOUNDS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FARRELL, a citizen of the United States,resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making CarbonizingCompounds, of which the following is a specification, the principle ofthe invention being herein explained and thebest mode in which I havecontemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from otherinventions.

My invention relates to metaltreatment, and particularly to processes ofmaking compounds by which all ,metals, preferably iron and steel, maybecarbonized. The invention relates particularly to the making ofcompounds utilized for case-hardening iron and steel. V

.The following description, sets forth in detail certain stepsembodyingmy invention, the disclosed steps, however, constituting butone of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may beap-, plied. V I

In carrying out my improved process, I utilize any inactive carbonaceoussubstance. By this I mean all forms of carbon which can be charred orburned. This includes all forms of carbon except graphite and diamond.These forms, which I use, I term, generally, amorphous carbon, and theyare illustrated by such materials as charcoal, coke, wood shavings,saw-dust, wood bark, peat, bone, etc. I first remove from said inactive.carbonaceous material substantially all of the moisture containedtherein.

This drying operation is eflected in a closed boiler heated by steamcoils to substantially three hundred and three (303) degrees Fahrenheit,the steam pressure being substantially fifty-five (55) pounds, combinedwith the step of effecting a vacuum in the boiler of about twenty-eightand one-half (28%;) inches mercury. As stated above, this processremoves substantially all of the moisture from the inactive carbonaceousmaterial. By actual tests, I have removed by this process from amorphouscarbon, such as charcoal, seven per cent. (7%) by weight moisture andfrom coke six per cent. (6%) by weight. By a further step of my process,I impregnate the-inactive carbonaceous material dried as stated above,with an energizing substance such as .sity of the boiler contents.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 12 1921. hpplicationfiled May .5, 1920. Serial No. 378,988.;

lime, soda ash, sodium carbonate, barium carbonate, calcuim carbonate,or any other suitable material or combination of materlals, which, whenadded to the inactive car- -.bonaceous material, renders thelatteracpounds in any suitable inclosed boiler, the. contents of thelatter being heated to from one hundred to three hundred degreesFahrenheit, the temperature and pressure dependlng within certain limitsupon the den- 7 Preferably, I utilize for this. impregnating step apres- 7 sure of'about eighty pounds and a temperature of about twohundred and eighty degrees Fahrenheit. This impregnation may take placeby either a dry or a wetprocess, in the case of the wet processlimebeing gener: ally used in combination with some other energizingagent. However, if the impregnation is efi'ected by awet process, it isthen necessary to dry the carbonizing compound agam; otherwise, it wouldsteam the pots in the furnace during the packing and carbonizing period.By actual tests, I haveim- I pregnated charcoal from which seven percent. by weight moisture has been removed by the vacuum process, withone hundred and thirty-nine per cent. by weight of the energizing agent,of which thirty per cent. remained after the second drying. This seconddrying process is also a vacuum process. Furthermore, I have impregnatedV coke, from which six per cent. by weight of moisture has been removed,by the vacuum process, with sixty per cent. by weight of the energizingsubstance, of which nineteen to twenty per cent. remained after thesecond drying.

My improved process results in the formation economically of a compoundwhich is extremely effective in the eflicientcasehardening of iron andsteel.

What I claim is:

1. The process of making carbonizing compounds consisting in, removingsubstantially all themoisture from carbonaceous material by vacuumprocess and then impregnating the material with an energizing agentunder fifty (50) to one-hundred and fifty (150) pounds pressure and atemperature of from 100 to 300 Fahrenheit.

2. The process of making carbonizing compounds consisting in, removingsubstan- WIN.-

tially all the moisture from carbonaceous material by subj ecting thesame to a vacuum of approximately twenty-eight and one-half 1 (28%)inches mercury and then impregnating the material with sodium-carbonateunder fifty (50) to one hundred and fifty (150) pounds pressure and atemperatureof from.

i 100 to 300 Fahrenheit.

3. The process ofmaking carbonizing compounds consisting 1n removingsubstantlally all the moisture from amorphous carbon by subjecting thesame to a vacuum process while heated to substantially three hundred andthree (303) degrees ahrenheit, and under substantially fifty-five (55)pounds steam pressure and then impregnating the dried carbon with sodiumcarbonate and lime by confining the same with the impregnating materialsin an inclosed boiler under fifty (50) to one hundred and fifty 150)pounds pressure and a temperature of from 100 to 300 Fahrenheit.-

' 4;. The process of makingcarbonizing compounds consist ng in, remov ngsubstantlally all the moisture from carbonaceous material by vacuumprocess and then impregnating the material with an energizing agent; V

5. The process of making carbonizing compounds consisting in, removingsubstantially all the moisture from charcoal by vacuum process;impregnating the charcoal thus dried with substantially one hundredvforty (140) per cent. by weight ofa solution of lime and sodiumcarbonate; and

'then drying the impregnated charcoal,

whereby the-same remains impregnated with v bon by'subjecting' the sameto a vacuum substantially thirty' (30) per cent. by weight of energizingagent.

6. The process of making carbonizing 40 compounds consisting in,removing substantially six- (6) per cent. by weight of moisture fromcoke by vacuum process; impregnating the coke thus driedwith-substantially sixty (60) per cent. by weight of a solution 5process while heated, to a temperature of p substantially three hundredand three (303) 1 degrees Fahrenheit and under substantially fifty-five(55) pounds steam pressure and then impregnating the dried carbon withan energizing agent by confining the same with the impregnatingmaterials in an inclosed boiler under 7 substantially eighty (80) poundspressure and a temperature of. substantially two hundred eighty. (280)de- 70 grees Fahrenheit.

Signed by me, this iid day of May, 1920. 1

JAMES FARRELL;

